Pianissimo-action for pianos



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. B. N. CUMMINGS. PIANISSIMO ACTION FOR PIANOS.

Patented June 10, 1890.

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Inventor (No Model.)'

Witnesses 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

B. N. CUMMINGS. PIANISSIMO ACTION FOR PIANOS.

Paten ted June 10, 18 90.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDNVARD N. CUMMINGS, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

PIANISSIMO-ACTION FOR PIANOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 430,002, dated June 10, 1890.

Application filed July 10, 1889- Serial No. 317,045. (No model.)

To, all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD N. CUMMINGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Upright Piano Fortes, of which. the following is a full specification.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of thepiano-action and adjacent parts in position for playing at normal tone. Fig. 2 shows in plan the operation of the movable key-rest. Fig. 3 shows the same in elevation, the parts being there shown in position for playing at soft pedal. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of the key-rest.

My invention consists of the hereinafter-described improvements in piano-fortes, whereby'the dip and touch of the keys remain the same whether playing the piano at its normal tone or at soft-pedal, the construction and arrangement being such that the movable bearing parts of the action are always in contact whatever be the position of the pedalrod. Moreover, the sound of the piano may be graded beyond the soft-pedal, so as to be rendered partially, or, if desired, wholly, inaudible while playing or practicing, at the same time keeping the dip and touch of the keys constant.

B is the key-bottom, from which arise standards A, supporting the working parts of the action, as shown in Fig. 1.

F is the key-rest hinged at l to the keybottom and normally resting thereon, and to this is secured the front rail G the balancerail F and the rear rail G supporting the key-cloth G.

G is the key fulcrumed on the balance-rail. I preferably use no rocker on the rear of the key for the lower end of the lifter M to bear against, but let the action-cloth 9 rest directly on the key itself, as shown in Fig. 1, while the lifter M bears directly on the action-cloth. By means of the regulating-screws g in the top of the key under the action-cloth the said cloth may be pressed upward and close 0011- tact with the lifter assured.

The lifter M, swing 'm pivoted thereto and to the lower rail A j ack-rocker R, and jack S are constructed and arranged in the usual manner to operate the hammer K through the hammer-butt k and hammer-shank K. The action of the damper L and damper-lever L is substantially the same as that ordinarily found in this class of pianos, and so needs no through the influence of the bridle-tape q, I

and thus raises the lifter M from contact with the actioncloth. At the same time a space is left between the upper end of the jack and the notch in the hainm er-bntt 71), so that when the piano is played in this position it either has not the sameZdip and touch or there is much looseness of action due to the considerable space the key must be moved through in bringing the parts again in contact before any effect whatever is produced on the hammer K. It becomes necessary, therefore, to provide means for keeping the bearing parts of the action always in contact, and thus keep the dip and touch of the key always the same whether the pedal-rod is up or down. I accomplish this by a key-rest or key-frame F, hinged at its outer end at I to the key-bottom, and whose inner end is raised or lowered by the pedal-rod. This key-rest F is preferably made of metal-such as malleable cast-iron-being a skeleton frame, as shown in Fig. l, provided with lugs f F whereby the pieces G ,F and G2 may be bolted or screwed thereto. At the inner end of the key-bottom B is bolted or otherwise secured the piece E, made, preferably, of metal, and supporting at intervals along its top the bearings E preferably cast with the piece E, in which turns the rod E. Each end bearing E is provided with a cover E whereby the rod E is held in place. This rod E turns freely in its bearings and is jointed loosely in any desired manner to the inner end of the keyrest F in such a way as to raise or lower the said inner end of the key-rest when the rod turns. I have here shown the rod provided at intervals with lugs e, having grooves in the outer ends thereof, in which grooves rest the heads of the screws f, held in flanges F in the frame F at proper intervals to engage with the lugs e, the construction being clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 8.

The pedal-rod C is provided with a sleeve C, screwed or otherwise secured thereto, to which sleeve is pivoted one end of an arm C the other end of which is firmly secured to the end of the rod E in such a manner that when the pedal-rod is raised for the purpose of decreasing the throw of the hammer, as

previously explained, the rod E turns in its bearings and raises the inner end of the keyrest F, so as to keep the action-cloth g always in contact with the end of the lifter and all the other bearing parts of the action in contact whatever the position of the pedal rod.

The sleeve 0 is provided with a projection c, engaging with the end of a stop II, sliding, preferably, in the key-block II at one end of the key-board and operated by the knob 71, the shank of which moves in a suitably-slotted guide it. The position of the projection c is such that with the stop in the position shown in Fig.3 the said projection will engage with the inner end of the stop when the piano is to be played at soft pedal. The parts are shown in Fig. 1 in position for playing at the normal tone, in which case the key-rest F rests upon the key-bottom. In Fig. 3 I have shown the parts in position for play ing at soft pedal, the inner end of the keyframe being in this case raised slightly, as shown, for the reasons explained. In Figs. 2 and 3 the working parts of the action are not shown. \Vhen it is desired to further reduce the sound beyond the ordinary soft pedal, the stop II is withdrawn beyond the range of the pro ection c and the pedal-rod raised farther, the effect being to still further lessen the throw of the hammer, while still keeping the bearing parts in contact, and hence retaining the dip and touch of the key constant. The sound may be reduced to nothing, if desired, in this way, and fingering of thekeys maybe practiced noiselessly. The under side of the projection 0 may be graduated in steps to engage with the inner end of the stop II at any desired position of the pedal-rod, so that the parts may be held in any position without keeping the foot upon the pedal. Moreover, by withdrawing the stop II and operating the pedal the sound of the piano may be very delicately graded in playing from the normal tone to a mere nothing, while keeping the touch of the keys the same. Although by this arrangement the whole key-board in reality moves when the pedal is operated, yet the motion is imperceptible to the player, since the key-rest is hinged at its extreme outer end to the key-bottom, so that while the motion of the inner end of the keys is suflicient to fulfill its purpose that at the outer end where the fingering is done is practically nothing.

In adapting the parts of an upright-piano action to be played in this manner with all positions of the pedal-rod it has hitherto been a matter of diliiculty to so shape the backcheck as to engage with the face of the backstop perfectly whatever theposition of parts. If so shaped as to properly engage therewith at normal tone, it would not ordinarily strike squarely against it as soft pedal or especially when the pedal was raised far above this point.

In my improved piano I employ a backeheek P, the face of which is perfectly straight and in one plane instead of having a curved face or two or more faces inclined, as ordinarily. This always strikes squarely against the fiat face of the back-stop Q when playing with the parts in any position.

1. Apiano provided with a movable hinged key-rest, substantially as and to r the purposes described.

A piano provided with a key-rest pivoted at its outer end, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. The combination, with the action of a piano, of a pedal-operated movable hinged key-rest whereby the bearing parts of the action may be kept always in contact, substantially as described.

I. A piano provided with an open-metal hinged key-rest, substantially as described.

5. In a piano, the combination, with the pedal-rod, of a pivoted key-rest and a rotatively-movable rod loosely jointed to said keyrest and provided with an arm pivotallyconnected to the said pedal-rod, substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. In a piano, the combination, with asliding stop, of a pedal-rod provided with projections engaging with said stop,and a movable key-rest operated by said pedal-rod, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

EDIVARD N. CUMMINGS.

VllillGSSQS:

ALBERT E. LEACI-I, M. H. THOMPSON.

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